Enhanced
by lalotai
Summary: Hank Pym and Howard Stark shared a dark secret. Under the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound, a prison quadrant held the successful experiments, and only a select few knew of one of the most successful: Cecelia Howell. The only problem is that nobody knows what her enhancement's entail. Now, years later, Cecelia has escaped, and Hank must recruit the Avengers, Scott and Hope to help save her.
1. Chapter 1

_Footsteps echoed against metal, ringing through the cement hallway. The fluorescent lights flickered, and thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance. Hank Pym, a distinguished man in his suit and tie, didn't expect to be lead into the underground prison quadrant of the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Howard Stark led the way down the silent hallway, his white hair slicked back by gel and rainwater, while Hank's graying hair was tousled by the wind._

 _Keeping his eyes on the hallway ahead of him, Hank didn't expect the journey to be over so quickly. The pair of scientists had passed several metal doors, labeled with numbers and letters Hank couldn't comprehend. One door had been soundproofed, and even then Hank and Howard could still hear the shrieks loud enough to rival that of a banshee. Another had consisted of a blue glow emanating from a darkened window, while the final was silent except for the humming of insects, making Hank feel a pang of grief hit his chest._

" _We're here." Howard stopped abruptly, and Hank almost walked into the taller man's shoulder blades. "Remember, you're here to observe. I trust few with this secret, and they are sworn to silence on the matter. Understood, Hank?"_

" _Yes, Howard." Hank responded, his voice grim. His eyes flicked to the metal door, and was surprised to find no reinforcements the door. Howard pressed a series of numbered buttons, before the door locks opened, and the door slid to the side. Howard strut forward, and Hank hurried to follow._

 _The room was hardly lit, a dim glow from light bulbs installed against the ceiling in all four corners of the room. In the center, a cylinder machine stood, wires running against the floors and up to the metal machine. Only until he took a better look could Hank see that it was a tank, and there was a still person._

 _Upon further investigation, Hank determined that the person in the tank was female, about 13 years old. Her skin was paler than the moon, and her breathing was slow. Every few beats, the glass in front of her suspended body would fog up. Her eyes were shut, and Hank could see the blue veins on her eyelids. Her body was covered in a black spandex outfit, cutting off at her wrists, ankles and her neckline._

" _Cecelia Howell." Howard told Hank, his voice lowered to a hush. "She's our most successful enhanced test, however our tests were inconclusive. We've been unsuccessful to identify her abilities. She's been in this suspended tank for a year now."_

" _Why is this important?" Hank asked, stepping forward to press a hand to the glass. The surface was cold like ice, and smooth like steel. "You seem to have everything under control."_

 _Howard sighed, running a hand through his hair. "One day, S.H.I.E.L.D. will want to kill all the experiments. It's important that she stays alive." Howard's voice was grim, and Hank was surprised to see worry in Howard's eyes. "She might not realize anything, or remember anything, but she has to stay alive."_

" _Alright." Hank nodded. "I'll make sure she stays alive."_

" _Thank you Hank." Howard sighed, turning towards the door. "And if anyone asks what I showed you, don't tell them."_

Hank's eyes flew open, and the old scientist felt beads of sweat trailing down his face. He was in his armchair, the newspaper gently clutched between his fingers. His glasses had slid down to the tip of his nose. Sunlight peeked in through the blinds. Taking a deep breath, Hank stood, placing the the newspaper on the coffee table, heading to the basement door. His feet thundered on the steps, and he soon was absentmindedly pressing his thumb to the lock. He pushed the door open, before heading down to the lab.

Sliding into the chair, his fingers pressed on the keys, and the screens flickered and changed. The satellite view of Earth came into view on all of the screens, and Hank continued to type quickly. The view changed again, and the camera feed was that of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prison quadrant. Instead of taking it down after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., the government decided to keep it for high security enhanced beings.

His eyes scanned each screen for the specific cell he had been in so many years before. Guards paced up and down the corridors, some stationed in front of cell doors. The blue glow from under the door had dimmed since Hank had last seen it, and the screeches had long since died out, while the insect noise had stopped all together. And then there was the last cell door.

As on cue, the door burst open, and the guards who had been in front of it had slumped to the ground, their chins resting on their chests. White fog poured out of the door, and Hank inhaled sharply as a figure stepped over the fallen door, bare, pale feet touching the metal ground.

Cecelia had woken up.

Her hair, which had been pure black when Hank had first saw her, was now iridescent. Her roots had remained black, but the hair had gradually turned white as it went down past her shoulders. Her skin had the same pale complexion, but her eyes, which Hank had only seen in her files, had grown a sharp gray.

The cameras all showed Cecelia as she marched down the hall, white fog following her as it dwindled the farther she went from the cell. Hank had grown rigid as the cameras followed Cecelia as she made her way to the air hanger. Hank groaned inwardly, before hastily typing code into the locks on the doorways, but Cecelia beat him to it.

Suddenly, the screens flickered off one by one. Hank attempted to activate the cameras, but it was no good; Cecelia had turned them all off somehow.

"Shit." Hank growled, leaning back in the chair. He had kept his promise, but in his attempt to keep the promise, he had just awoken an untamable beast.


	2. Chapter 2

The familiar laughter of children and adults alike having fun made Steve want to go and join them. His eyes caught on a young couple enjoying a picnic, making him think of Peggy, but he forced himself to look away and continue to walk through the park. His baseball cap was pulled low over his face, and sunglasses covered his eyes. His snug leather jacket felt reassuring as he made his way across the park and towards the center of the grassy park.

Sunshine beat down through the trees, casting a warm glow on the walkway. Happy people passed by, but Steve didn't look up. His footsteps were quick, and his strides were long, and he reached the center of the park, a secluded willow growing out of the ground and casting a shadow over the large stone circle. Benches were lined along the edge, and lights had been strung through the branches, giving the tree a glow.

Steve chose a park bench, checking his watch. He was a good 10 minutes early, and he allowed himself to drift into thought. The vague message he had received on his nightstand had left him a bit shaken. Someone had breached the facility without warning or alerting the systems, which made him instinctively double security patrols and go through hours of footage, only to find nothing but an ant infestation in the compound. No clue to how the letter had got there, into his room, in a high security compound, full of Avengers.

"You came." A voice said from above, and Steve jumped, looking up. There, in front of him, stood a man clad in a brown blazer and slacks. Sunglasses identical to Steve's, and the gray hair seemed to be brighter against the weeping willow's shadows. The man sat down next Steve, folding his sunglasses and tucking them into his blazer pocket. "You're not with anyone?"

"I came alone, like you asked." Steve muttered, taking off his hat and rubbing his thumbs over the brim. "Though I can't understand how you got the message into my room."

"Some secrets," the man stated, putting on a pair of reading glasses and taking out a newspaper, unfolding it and beginning to read. "Shouldn't be revealed. And it has nothing to do with why I called you here."

"What are we going to do? The daily crossword?" Steve snorted, placing the cap back on his head. The man stayed silent as he read, and Steve was about to leave when the man handed him a file.

"Cecelia Howell." He stated, returning to his reading. Steve looked at him expectantly, waiting for more, but sighed. This man was curious.

"Who?" Steve asked, opening the folder. There were a few pictures of a girl Steve didn't recognize. She was pale, an oxygen mask around her mouth and face. Her hair floated behind her, black as night, as if it were in water. Her eyes were closed, as if she were sleeping.

"You know how you were frozen?" The man stated calmly as he read the paper. "She's been 13 since the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound was finished. After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., the prison ward for enhanced beings was kept. Yesterday at 9am, she escaped."

"What are her enhancements?" Steve asked, flipping through the file. Birthday, family members, records, health files. Nothing Steve wouldn't expect.  
"That's the slight issue." The man sighed, closing the paper. He opened his mouth to continue, when a hand fell on Steve's shoulder. The Avenger turned his head, and saw Sam Wilson standing above him, checking his phone.

"Something's happened." Sam stated, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes covered by sunglasses. "You need to see this." He nodded to the old man in greeting. "Dr. Pym."

Steve gave Sam a small look, before turning back to Hank Pym. "Thanks for the file. I'll let you know when we detain her."

"Good luck." Pym stated simply, folding the paper and standing, pulling on his sunglasses on once more. "I'll be looking forward to it."

The lights flickered every so often, and the man tied to the chair breathed quickly. Sweat and blood trailed down from his temple, and he stared into the shadows, where he knew his assailant waited.

"Mitchell Carson." A smooth and cool voice sounded from the shadows where she stood. "Double agent of H.Y.D.R.A., formerly of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Right hand man to Howard Stark. How are you still alive?"

"Who are you?" Mitchell gasped, struggling in his bindings. "Let me out! I can have the FBI, SWAT and CIA here in one call!"

"You're threats don't scare me." She laughed, crossing her arms. Her sharp gray eyes sparkled in the dim light. "Besides, I despised your phone when I knocked you unconscious. Now, answer the question."

"I'm valuable." Carson sputtered, the chair scraping against the cement as he struggled. "Now, answer _my_ question!" His demands were futile, as his position wouldn't help. But he was shocked to hear a response."

"Experiment 6414A." Her voice sounded, and footsteps sounded as she drew closer, her slim form becoming more visible. "Successful. Results unknown. Frozen, comatose state, preventing aging and oxygen mask keeping alive. Notes: Hair color change, unresponsive to shocks, and heartrate 61 beats per minute."

Carson sat, rigid. The chair creaked underneath him. "How are you alive?"

"I never died." She laughed, finally coming into the light. "Don't doubt me. Now, you're going to give me what I want." Her posture was straight, arms folded across her chest, her face straight and her eyes focused on Carson.

"I'd rather die." Carson snarled, struggling in the chair again. "You'll never get it. Nobody will let you!" His voice was filled with rage, and his face was flushed, but his eyes showed his fear.

"Have it your way." Cecelia shrugged, holding up her hands. A spark of light appeared. Carson's vision became blurry, as if something was surrounding his head. He tried to breathe, but his lungs screamed in pain as he couldn't find any oxygen. His vision spotted, and he felt his body go limp. Before it all went dark, Cecelia met his gaze, steady, and everything vanished.


End file.
